Psychology and the Legal System [Hardcover]

Lawrence S. Wrightsman (Author), Michael T. Nietzel (Author), William H. Fortune (Author), Edith Greene (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0534365442 | ISBN-13: 978-0534365448 | Publication Date: July 25, 2001 | Edition: 5

This engrossing text examines the legal system through the use of psychological concepts, methods, and research results. It seeks to clarify the basic dilemmas that persist in the legal system and looks at the ethical, moral, legal, and psychological "gray areas" of the law, including coverage of such topics as: competence to stand trial, pretrial publicity and resulting changes in venue, criminal profiling, civil case law and civil procedures, the rights of children, capital punishment, the psychology of criminal trials, the insanity defense, expert forensic testimony, and analysis of eyewitness identification and line-up procedures. This thoroughly updated edition balances discussion of the legal system with psychological theory, concepts, and research.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lawrence S. Wrightsman is professor of Psychology at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Wrightsman is an author or editor of ten other books relevant to the legal system, including PSYCHOLOGY AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM, FIFTH EDITION, THE AMERICAN JURY ON TRIAL, and JUDICIAL DECISION MAKING: IS PSYCHOLOGY RELEVANT? He was invited to contribute the entry on the law and psychology for the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PSYCHOLOGY, sponsored by the American Psychological Association and published by Oxford University Press. His research topics include jury selection procedures, reactions to police interrogations, and the impact of judicial instructions. He has also served as a trial consultant and testified as an expert witness. Wrightsman is a former president of both the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and the Society of Personality and Social Psychology. In 1998 he was the recipient of a Distinguished Career Award from the American Psychology-Law Society.

Michael T. Nietzel earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1973 and is currently President of Missouri State University.

William H. Fortune received his J.D. from the University of Kentucky in 1964 and is currently an Alumni Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky at Lexington.

Edie Greene earned her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology and law from the University of Washington in 1983, served as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Washington from 1983-1986, and is currently a professor of psychology at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 5 edition (July 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534365442
• ISBN-13: 978-0534365448
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #689,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, May 8, 2007

By 

L. S. Barrionuevo (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psychology and the Legal System (Hardcover)

Fairly easy reading, interesting, excellent examples, enjoyable. I really liked this book. I defiantly recommend it!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Adequate but lacking, May 23, 2003

By 

Kelly A. Garbato "www.easyvegan.info" (Kearney, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psychology and the Legal System (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for an undergraduate psych course, "Psychology & the Law". As I have a BA in psychology, I've read quite a few psychology textbooks in the past few years, and this might possibly be the worst of the bunch.

Generally, the book is somewhat disorganized and the chapters don't really seem to flow together. The text gives the feeling that the reader is jumping from topic to topic without any sense of cohesion between the chapters. The authors try to bind the sections together with the running theme of dilemmas in the legal system, but this strategy just strikes me as contrived, especially since some of the so-called dilemmas are rather commonsensical. Also, the authors' writing style is lacking, and I find myself with many questions after reading the chapter - certain topics just aren't explained very well, or very efficiently, for that matter.

Overall, I think the textbook is adequate for teaching the material but I'm convinced that it can't be the best choice out there. As a fellow reviewer mentioned, the text mentions nothing in regards to rehab of criminals, which seems like a huge oversight (after all, isn't rehabilitation half the battle?). So please, PLEASE, if you're a professor who's considering using this text to teach your class - DON'T!

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for students, but lacking in some vital areas, July 24, 2001

By 

"amazonchicken" (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychology and the Legal System (Hardcover)

I bought this book for a course entitled Psychology and the Law, which I am taking as an elective course, and not as part of my areas of concentration. Although I am a Sociology and Women's Studies major, you don't need to be a feminist (or even a sociologist for that matter), to see where this book is lacking vital information on the criminal justice system, and on rehabilitation techniques used in North America.

As a Canadian student, I did find this book useful, although it is primarily focused on the American model of criminal justice. The basic theories and ideologies are pretty much the same for both Canada and the United States, so in that respect, the information is still valuable. Some Chapters of interest to sociologists, law students and forensic psychologists alike are entitled "Lawyers: Socialization, Training and Ethics" , "Theories of Crime" , "Forensic Assesment I & II" , "Jury Trials I & II" , "Psychology of Victims" , "The Rights of Special Groups" and "Punnishment and Sentencing". What seems to be lacking in these chapters, upon quick glance, is that there are no questions at the end, just a quick summary and a list of key terms. Personally, I find I perform better on an exam when there are questions left unanswered at the end of a chapter (gets the ol' wheels in my noggin' turning away ...), but for whatever reason, there isn't any. Also, the glossary doesn't contain all the the 'key terms' at the end of a chapter so sometimes you have to use another psychological or legal dictionary to find the definitions.

Another critical area that is lacking in this book, is any research from a feminist perspective. There is a paragraph here and there regarding 'feminist jurisprudence' and a brief mention of Carol Gilligan's conception of women's moral development, which, by the way, has paved the way for many rehabilitative programs not only in North America but world-wide. There is no mention of this ANYWHERE in the book, even though empirical evedince has proven that rehabilitative techniques of this nature are for more successful in preventing criminals from repeat offences. Also, many of the theories of crime are outdated (a good number of them are biological theories) and there are NO theories of female criminality what-so-ever. The critiques feminists have made of these male-dominated theoreis are not listed. Apparently women just don't break the law!

All in all, it's a good read if you're a student in the field, but remember to think objectively and keep an open mind. It does take a kind of male-oriented pro-punnishment type angle but it you can look past these details and remind yourself that this is only one point of view, it does provide alot of information. To top it all off, the examples used to demonstrate the points in the book are all fairly recent, like the O.J. Simpson trials, debates on censorship on the internet as well as debates on doctor-assisted suicide. It's a book I plan to keep on my shelf throughout my studies, but not one I can really say was "remarkable" or "accurate". I'll likely reach for this book when I need a more traditional opinion for a gender studies assignment with regard to the law ... it only emphasizes one side of the story.